RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING A SIDEWALK CAFÉ PROGRAM.
WHEREAS, in response to COVID-19, the City Manager issued an order, ratified by City Council on June 2, 2020, to establish the Temporary Outdoor Flex-Space Permit Program for Restaurants allowing eateries to temporarily establish outdoor dining within the public right-of-way and on private property while adhering to safety and physical distancing guidelines; and WHEREAS, since then, the program has expanded and was renamed to the City of Riverside Temporary Outdoor Flex-Space Permit Program to allow businesses categorized as “lower risk workplaces” by the state’s Resilience Roadmap to apply for a permit; and WHEREAS, On June 15, 2021, the state reopened to full capacity and businesses no longer had to adhere to social distancing rules or be limited by capacity restrictions, and the City Council established a 30-day extension for the Temporary Outdoor Flex Space Program and an Entertainment Permit Grace Period; and WHEREAS, On July 12, 2021, staff presented a draft RFP to the Land Use, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee which sought an urban design firm to prepare a Long-term Outdoor Dining Program, which would provide a comprehensive document that addressed the Committee’s feedback, generated design standards, considered a fee schedule, scheduled community engagements and surveys, and outlined permit requirements and guidelines for the Main Street Pedestrian Mall, Central Business District, and other Citywide locations; and WHEREAS, on September 27, 2021, staff initiated the review of the single response to the RFP, and the proposal significantly exceed the budgeted amount; and WHEREAS, on October 8, 2021, the Governor signed Senate Bill 314, Senate Bill 389, and Assembly Bill 61 into law, which collectively extended certain state-level approvals associated with outdoor dining and the sale of alcohol as part of outdoor dining for one year after the closure of the state of emergency, which is anticipated to occur on February 28, 2023, in addition to extending the sale of “to-go” alcohol with meals through December 2026; and WHEREAS, on June 13, 2022 and subsequently on November 14, 2022 a discussion of staff’s proposed guidelines for a long term outdoor dining program was continued to a future meeting date at the Land Use, Sustainability and Resilience Committee due to scheduling conflicts; for this reason the item was brought directly to Council given the approaching termination of the Emergency Declaration; and WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge to local restaurants, and the City’s institution of a Temporary Outdoor Flex Space Program was a means for restaurants to continue operations during the period of restriction on indoor operations; and WHEREAS, with the Emergency Declaration anticipated to end on February 28, 2023 in the State of California, a new program is required to facilitate the continued usage of public rights of way & pedestrian plazas by restaurant owners for outdoor dining purposes; and WHEREAS, outdoor dining adds vibrancy to streetscapes and pedestrian plazas by promoting safety, cleanliness, and social interaction within these public spaces thereby making them more walkable, livable, and attractive; and WHEREAS, having a wealth of permitted outdoor dining options additionally builds community resilience in the case of a future epidemic / pandemic where indoor dining becomes a concern; and WHEREAS, the final long-term program has been renamed to the Sidewalk Café Program, which is attached hereto at Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein, and is intended to accommodate restaurants wishing to operate outdoor dining areas along their restaurant’s frontage within the public right-of-way or public pedestrian plazas / the Main Street Pedestrian Mall.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Riverside, California, that:
Section 1: That the above recitals are found to be true and correct and are hereby incorporated herein as if stated in full.
Section 2: The Sidewalk Café Program, including an optional extension for restaurants operating a permitted Temporary Outdoor Flex Space for dining purposes, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference, is hereby adopted.
Section 3: The provisions of this resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
ADOPTED by the City Council this _________ day of _____________, 2023. ___________________________
PATRICIA LOCK DAWSON
Mayor of the City of Riverside
Attest:
_____________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
I, Donesia Gause, City Clerk of the City of Riverside, California, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly adopted at a meeting of the City Council of said City at its meeting held on the _________ day of _____________, 2023, by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Riverside, California, this ________ day of ______________, 2023. _________________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
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